Lil' Kim's Latest Projects: Legal Troubles and New Watches

By ANTHONY RAMIREZ

Published: August 17, 2004

Lil' Kim, the saucy rap diva who is facing up to 20 years in federal prison for perjury and other charges, yesterday assailed federal prosecutors, announced that she was rededicating herself to charity work and introduced a line of Lil' Kim diamond watches.

At a crowded news conference at a Midtown hotel attended by reporters and photographers from, among other media outlets, Women's Wear Daily, the ''Celebrity Justice'' television show and Nickelodeon magazine, the bantam performer stood on a milk carton to reach the small jungle of microphones on the lectern.

Wearing pink high heels that matched her tailored suit, she struggled to be heard over the shriek of camera shutters as she said, ''My name is Kimberly -- Lil' Kim -- Jones and I am innocent.''

Ms. Jones added, ''This case is part of the government's continued indictment of hip-hop and the hip-hop industry and my innocence will soon be proved.''

Her lawyer, Mel A. Sachs, elaborated. He said Ms. Jones's testimony before a federal grand jury had been ''extracted out of context'' and ''magnified out of proportion'' by prosecutors.

In April, Ms. Jones, 29, was arraigned on charges of perjury, making false statements and obstructing justice. She had testified before a grand jury investigating a shooting outside a Manhattan radio station three years ago in which a bystander was injured. Ms. Jones's trial is set to begin in February. At the news conference, Ms. Jones thanked her fans for their support after her indictment. Reading from a prepared text, she said that although she had already worked with AIDS awareness and breast cancer charities, she felt the need for ''a formal organization due to the public's overwhelming encouragement.'' The new foundation will be called Lil' Kim Cares.

Ms. Jones said she planned to focus on charities for the homeless, battered women and runaways because she had been all three at some point in her life. But she also encouraged fans to suggest charities she should work with. ''I will make myself tired'' reviewing all the submissions, Ms. Jones said.

Departing from her text and addressing her fans ''in London, Japan, Germany and elsewhere all over the country, out of the country,'' Ms. Jones said: ''I want you to know that Lil' Kim Cares is for you, too. Just because we're in two different countries doesn't mean that I neglect you.''

The performer, who once described her fashion sense as Betty Boop in a Bentley, relaxed when Ronn D. Torossian, her spokesman, mentioned her ''royalty watch'' line. The watches retail from $1,800 to $3,500 each, depending on the weight of the diamonds.

The watch, Ms. Jones said, is ''bold, sexy and sophisticated, basically everything that I am.'' She then winked and curtsied.

Will any share of the watch revenue go to the aforementioned charities? Ms. Jones was asked. She squealed and said, ''Good question!'' She said some revenue would go to her second hometown, Miami, for public school supplies ''like computers, books and pencils.''

The final, shouted question put to Ms. Jones would ordinarily have been the first, pre-indictment: Who are you wearing?

Her answer: Valentino.

Photo: The entertainer Lil' Kim assailed prosecutors and promoted her watch line and charity work during a news conference yesterday. (Photo by Don Hogan Charles/The New York Times)